Niagara, N.Y. (WBEN) - As families in the Town of Niagara await results from radiation testing at their homes, one family has finally started the relocation process.
Lexi Hawk officially made the move from her Chester Avenue home over the weekend, and is now just awaiting the arrival of new furniture to her new residence later this week.
While Hawk and her family made the move after her home was among the several to possibly be exposed to radioactive contamination in Niagara, others are either in the process of relocating or hoping to find further help from state and federal officials with relocating.
During an appearance with WBEN on Monday, Hawk told Joe Beamer she had received a call from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday bearing an update on the progress with radiological testing in the town.
"She told me how she was at the incident command post last week with the EPA, and she told them to lead with empathy and something like that. And I was just like, 'Governor, I appreciate that you came to Niagara Falls. I wish that we were invited, it should have found a community thing. But I'm out of my house right now. I want my test results, of course, and you need to call the family on 99th Street. They're in their house and they're suffering,'" said Hawk on Monday.
Results of the testing done in Niagara may not come back to residents and others in the region until November, but Hawk says she and others cannot simply wait.
"[Hochul] said something about, 'They need the full package' - that's what Lefton said to her. And I was like, 'No, I want it as it comes in. I don't care about getting the full package. I deserve to know what they know.' And she said she'll see what she can do," Hawk noted.
As it turns out, Hawk wasn't the only resident in the Town of Niagara the governor talked with on Sunday.
"The best part of this is it just so happened we were all together, at this point, we were all just hanging out because we've formed a bond," Hawk said. "So we were with Jackie [Linkowski] and Kellie [Motyka], and then we were with the McKiernans from 99th Street. We were just all hanging out. So she had no choice but to talk to the McKiernans at that point, and then after she got off the phone with me, she didn't know we were all together. She knew I was with the McKiernans, but not Jackie, so she called Jackie right after, and then Dan and Jocelyn took the phone again, and she was very, very shocked."
Even though the results will tell the full story once released to the public, Hawk has a strong feeling of what will be revealed as a result in the coming weeks.
"In my bones, I know there's going to be chemicals there too, it's not just going to be radiation. And they don't want to let that out yet because either election or because they don't know what to do, and it's going to create panic. But I think our whole neighborhood is sitting on chemicals and radioactive waste," she said.
One aspect of this whole issue that continues to frustrate Hawk and other Niagara residents is a lack of communication with the New York State Department of Health. It's an issue that Hawk wanted Gov. Hochul to take action on immediately.
"I did get her to commit to calling the Department of Health and having like a three-way or four-way call with the Department of Health, me and the McKiernans on 99th Street, because we all need to hear what they have to say. And she needs to be on it," Hawk said.
"Our doctors, even my daughter's pediatrician, they all said they're waiting for the Department of Health for their guidance. And the Department of Health just will not answer the phone for us. We've left them so many messages; they never call back. So I don't know if they don't know what to say, I really don't, but I guess doctors aren't trained in this kind of stuff."
